Early Christian Art

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The most influential theme in art for centuries was that of religion. There have been many things that have influenced art over the generations. Nothing has had the impact on the art world that religions has. Many of the ancient art works were dedicated to the gods or other religious figures. The statues of the Ancient Egyptians were not just for beauty. Instead, they were representations of the gods and were meant to have significant meaning to the people who saw them. The people of the time knew the meaning of every reed, flower, bird, or animal that was depicted in the art. The same is true of the Greeks and Romans. Most of the art was inspired by the gods and the mythology of the region. Art as a way of imparting a message dominates the art world. For most of history, art had a meaning that was often connected to the religion of the region. This is fitting since art has a sense of permanence that most other mediums do not possess. The introduction of Christianity as a major religion followed the pattern of other ancient religions. Many of the great works of art were done for religious purposes. Some of the most famous artworks in history are religious. Just a few that come immediately to mind are The Last Supper, the ceiling of the Cysteine Chapel, and the Statue of David. Even during the period known as the Dark Ages art was inspired by religion. True, the art was generally dark and full of death and demons, but the art was based upon religious themes, mostly from the book of Revelations. As with the art that preceded it, the religious art of Christianity is full of symbolism. For example, a painting where the man is standing with two fingers upraised on his right hand is generally a religious leader such as a pope or Jesu... ... middle of paper ... ...ing St. John the Evangelist also uses this them. The facial expression is one of sadness but the way the head is held gives the viewer a sense of hope and stubborn determination. Works Cited Châtelet, A. (2010). Early Dutch Painting: Thirty Years On. Oud-Holland, 123(3/4), 314-329. doi:10.1163/187501710796167617 Copenhaver, M. B. (2011). Faces of Jesus. Christian Century, 128(25), 12-13. DeWitte, D. Ferguson, G. (1961). Signs & Symbols in Christian Art. New York: Oxford University Press. Larmann, R., & Shields, M. (2011). Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe (1400–1750). Gateways to Art (pp. 376-97). New York: W.W. Norton. Master of the Virgin inter Virgines. The Entombment of Christ. 1490. St. Louis Art Museum St. John the Evangelist. 1500. St. Louis Art Museum Stone, W. F. (1897). Questions on the philosophy of art;. London: Printed by William Clowes and Sons.

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